A Sundry of Snippets
by gigiree123
Summary: A collection of scrapped writings and pieces from Reluctant, Descriptions, Transparent Chronology, and some writings from Tumblr. NaruHina and family. Most recent addition: From Dandelion to Sunflower. An AU exploring the death of Boruto and its impact on one Himawari Uzumaki through the years.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This is actually a deleted scene from Reluctant. I thought it was too OOC and mean spirited, but still it was slightly more fun than the scene from chapter 19, a lighter tone. Location: Kusagakure, alternate storyline of reluctant.**

**Fire**

Naruto gave a slide glance to his taciturn companion. Her tiny mouth was pressed into a thin line, pale eyes staring straight ahead and impassive. She continued to stare out towards the street and up at the lanterns, pointedly avoiding a conversation.

She was still angry.

He sighed. Since Ino and Shino had intel duty and were currently stuck in the ancient records crypt, he and Hinata were left alone to "guard" the festivities. Besides as future Hokage and an ambassador, they could not appear to be anything but neutral and respectful. Even if they had conditional permission to look at those records, they would not go read them.

He tried to break the silence, not used to extended periods of not speaking, especially to his friends. He grinned cheekily. "Sooo…it's nice weather huh?"

A pause and Hinata shifted slightly, the red of the lanterns making the highlights in her hair appear violet. "Yes, it is Naruto-san."

"Are you hungry?"

"I am fine, thank you." She answered, distant and polite. Her tone was lilting, but there was something off. The cadence was wrong.

He knitted his brows in confusion. How could he notice the nuances of her voice? Was he really that aware of her? He had never seen her so angry as when they had argued, her veiled messages hitting him and dawning upon him seconds after she had already moved on to her next accusation. He then realized that was where Hinata's strength lay; in quiet, well thought out and creative belligerence.

It was also her weakness. He felt as if she had not said everything, she held back. And he wanted to see her let go. Completely and utterly shout and become red till she could fight no more. She never spoke up about how she felt, always resorting to facts and morality and silent threats.

She didn't even look like a normal angry person. Her eyes would flash a hint of silver, but it was subdued and beautifully controlled. He wanted to see fire in her gaze, not just cold steel.

That part of her had not changed.

He stood up from the stone steps in front of the temple and brushed off his pants. His eyes flared cobalt and his large shadow loomed over the startled ambassador. The light of the lanterns menacingly lit up the deep planes of his visage and his grin seemed all the more frightening.

He knew what would set her off. Her weak point had been the apparent immorality of his past conquests. (At least the idea that those damn rumors had given her.) She hated his games. Well then, let her be the victim of his next play.

He then quickly reached for her small hand, pulling her up. Carefully, he maneuvered himself so that he was encroaching upon her space. (Her most prized position.) She was too startled to do much but squeak lightly. He gazed appreciatively at her dark clad form, purposely allowing his gaze to linger. She turned red, and her eyes widened.

"Naruto-san…" She said breathlessly, a spark of indignation and embarrassment alighting.

'Just a little more.' He thought. He was really close. He gave her a flirtatious grin, one that many had been charmed by. He tilted his head in an ever so fetching manner and his blond strands fell into his bright eyes.

She began to squirm, tugging her wrist out of his grip. "Let go."

He obliged, staring at her with a mischievous glow. "Hinata…"

His husky tone had her stopping, all thoughts disappearing. "Y-yes, Naruto-san?"

There it was; the trepidation and hesitation. He went in for the kill.

"If I said you had a nice body, would you hold it against me?"

The tiny ambassador's previous anger returned at full force, the audacity of her comrade shocking her. This was so crass, so rude especially after today's incident. And now she was stuck with a pervert of a future Hokage for whom she had once held a deep love. (Right now, her emotions were clouded, confused.) But now, the only clarity was her immense anger.

She shoved him away, surprisingly strong. Her cheeks turned red in vexation and infuriation. Her fists balled up at her sides. Naruto cheered internally, this is what he had wanted to see. To see her angry, to see her fight.

"You…you…." She sputtered, incoherent.

He waited, amused and his smug look incensed her more. She reached breaking point.

"You jackass!" She shouted; the rude word at odds with her gentle voice. She did not shriek like other kunoichi were wont to do, but the raised pitch and slightly louder volume were enough to convey her displeasure. More than enough actually.

She looked up at her future jackass Hokage, her brows knitted and her mouth small. And Naruto once again found himself struggling to breathe. Her eyes were no longer cold steel. They were not fire either.

They were stars.

"How dare you, you pretentious, utterly lecherous meanie!"

He was struck dumb, he had not been expecting this level of retribution, but then again he did not know what to expect when it came to this girl. Then he began to laugh; a full, throaty laugh that rocked his entire being. Mirth brought tears into his eyes, stopping the girl mid-tirade.

She realized she had been duped. And slightly hurt and ashamed at how easily she had fallen for it, she said the only thing she could.

"Go screw yourself Naruto-san."

He stopped, still chuckling slightly and answered. He grinned his signature foxy smirk. "You read my mind."

She had calmed down enough to realize what she had said, and blushed prettily. If you can't beat them, join them was her reasoning and then buried herself in deeper with…

"It was a short read anyway."

And promptly left her future Hokage, her indigo strands teasing his senses as she passed a stunned Naruto.


	2. The Hedgehog Dilemma

**Another From Reluctant. This was scrapped because the timeline does not fit the way the story is going now. In this first version of Reluctant, the main struggle for Naruto was learning how to support and balance his obligations with Hinata's insecurities. However, her injury reveal would have occurred much later down the line, after he had assumed the Hokage Hat.**

**The Hedgehog Dilemma**

"As future Hokage, I declare Hinata Hyuuga unable to continue in active ninja duty, due to her impaired Byakugan." Naruto said, with all the authority he could muster, fighting back feelings of turmoil. "This stands until further notice."

Team Eight stood speechless. Kiba's gaping mouth struggled to form a coherent argument or insult. Shino's form remained stock still, whether frozen in outrage or shock was not known. The only sign of his emotions being the increased buzzing of his insects.

"You bastard….TAKE THAT BACK!" growled out Kiba, finally getting out what he needed. "ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND?! "

Naruto ignored him, focusing instead on the girl in question.

Hinata searched the impassive gaze of the young man, looking for her kind boyfriend, but found nothing but the cold, professional demeanor of a Hokage. To cry would have been a boon, but she was so stunned, she could only stare blankly at him. She felt as if the world had fallen from beneath her, swallowing up all that she was into a black abyss. Her eyes widened to their limit, lilac depths exposing her very soul.

And for the first time in a long time, she fainted.

"Hinata!?"

"HINATA!"

Their cries broke out in concert. Naruto's Hokage mask broke in concern for his girlfriend, the expression across his face could only be termed absolute devastation. He leapt over his desk, reaching Hinata just before Kiba and held her still form in his arms, her beautiful hair draping gracefully over her.

"Let her go, you bastard." Kiba growled low and threatening, reaching for the girl.

And Naruto did nothing as Kiba wrenched her from his arms and gently carried her out the door, not looking at the still kneeling Hokage.

Shino was left, his insects still buzzing. He paused before exiting and turned to Naruto.

"Why could you not believe in her, the way she did you?"

And with that he left.

'_Did I do the right thing?'_


	3. Switched

**From Descriptions. Meant to be a typical body switch, but I felt it did not fit the tone of Descriptions, and so it was scrapped. Incomplete. **

**Warning: Some Sasusaku, for those that don't appreciate the pairing. **

**Switched**

Tsunade gazed at the three, her composure strained against the Herculean task of not laughing. Whatever she did, she must not laugh, no matter how ridiculous and unseemly their predicament was.

Ino Yamanaka shifted guiltily as she finished the explanation, pretty blue eyes darting from one victim to the other. And she almost laughed. Almost. Because really between the two of them, one had to look very hard to see any major differences in their behavior. Right?

Who was she kidding?

"I'm so sorry, you guys." Ino apologized breathlessly, her face turned away from the odd duo.

Sasuke gave a soft, hesitant smile and his eyes crinkled in acceptance, the blush never fading. His usually gruff voice was utterly gentle and as soft as the down feathers on a duckling's hiney. It sounded a little hoarse, as if his voice had never gone a pitch higher than D minor.

"I-It's okay, Ino."

"No. No it's not fucking **okay**, Hyuuga." Hinata's melodic voice spat out, the tone contrasting very oddly with her tinkling soprano. Thin brows knitted in annoyance as the effect of the complaint were dulled by the light tone. Was that the harshest these damn vocal cords were capable of? Tiny fists balled up in anger and teeth clenched and the balls of her feet began to sway back and forth with the effort of tiptoeing.

Tsunade snorted and as stares in shades of blue, icy lilac and now a tearful gray turned towards her, she cleared her throat. "So…Ino's communication jutsu went wrong, and now you two are in each other's bodies?"

Ino clamped her hands over her twitching mouth, and Sasuke-in-Hinata's Body twitched, feeling the infamous Hyuuga Byakugan activating. His vision turned to muted shades of color and he slowly felt the Hyuuga's blue chakra running down to her ridiculously tiny fists. He turned towards his fellow victim, surprised by her lack of anger. Then he stopped and nearly died, the shock of it all too much to bear.

Oh the indignity. It had been bad enough when he realized that that he had shrunk down to five foot and two inches. (Hence, the tiptoeing.) It had been bad enough when he had misjudged the distance his short legs could jump, nowhere near his original distance, and he fallen and choked on very long, useless indigo hair. It had been mortifying (so much so, that he contemplated just ending it all then and there), when he realized the first time he jumped that breasts bounced too.

But this, this was just too much.

He looked in disbelief as he saw himself, the stoic Sasuke Uchiha, sniffling and tears running down his chiseled face and cheeks red in sorrow. His fingers gripped the hem of his dark shirt and _his _beautiful baritone voice was reduced to a husky whisper. "I-I'm sorry. It's just that today is Valentine's Day and I-I had a date with Naruto-kun and-and the festival was today…"

Then the sobbing started and Sasuke panicked. It was bad enough that it was a girl crying, but her statement had made him realize that it was indeed Valentine's Day and oh shit- Sakura was going to kill him, or her, damn it.

He glared at Ino, and nearly rammed her through with his chakra coated fists. She blanched and squeaked, running to hide behind a dying Tsunade. Who knew Hinata-chan could look so scary?

Sasuke-in-Hinata's Body (SIHB) approached himself, gruffly grasping her, his shoulder. "Hey Hyuuga."

Hinata-in-Sasuke's body (HISB) looked down, eyes widening to ridiculous proportions. "Y-yes Sasuke-san?"

"We'll trade." Sasuke said bluntly, narrowed eyes of lavender narrowed in consternation.

"W-what?" Hinata asked, unused to looking down at anyone except small children and animals.

"We'll trade. You pretend to be me today, and I'll be you. I'll even go on your stupid date." He nearly threw up at the thought. A date with the idiot future Hokage.

"But-"

"Yamanaka!" Sasuke called, placing his hands on rounded hips. "24 Hours, right?"

"Yeah. It should wear off then." She answered, confused.

He turned to look back up at himself, and he crossed tiny arms, unaware of the fact that it only served to emphasize Hinata's voluptuous cleavage. "There. Twenty-four hours Hyuuga, I go with the idiot, and you go with Sakura."

And because Hinata could pick up cues very well, she saw that deeply buried beneath lavender irises of annoyance was an undercurrent of true worry. Sasuke wanted things to be perfect for his beau, and he was placing his faith in her to make things okay for the time being.

She nodded, long pale fingers fidgeting oddly. "Okay."

Tsunade nodded at the absurd arrangement, glad that things would resolve themselves. Ino sighed, somewhat relieved that she hadn't been eviscerated yet by tiny Hyuuga attacks. They braced themselves for a day of fun.

It was then that Sasuke's body began to do a little jig, shifting from one foot to the other. Everyone turned questioningly to Hinata. SIHB nearly died again.

"Hyuuga, when was the last time you peed?" He asked.

"Not since I was me." She squeaked as best she could. Ino blushed, aware of the implications and Tsunade promptly left the room, her guffaws murdering her Hokage composure within seconds of leaving.

Hinata followed suit, nearly sprinting to the bathroom. Needless to say, the feminine screams of horror emanating from Hokage tower were like nothing ever heard before.

* * *

Naruto nearly skipped down the street, nodding graciously and waving enthusiastically at all who greeted him. He was going to meet Hinata for a Valentine's lunch and then a date at the February festival. He had even worn a brand new black shirt and a new pair of orange pants. His hair had been left as was, because he knew that Hina-chan secretly adored his bed head. He had so much planned for today, and because it was ten months since they had started dating and since he had been named Hokage successor, he felt it should be a very special celebration.

And he was glad; moreso than he had been in a very long time. Since kissing Hinata that day in the field, his life had been all the more complete, and every moment spent with her cute adorable self made him even more in lo- He winced, still unable to say the word. Even in his own thoughts, he found it difficult to say anything, because he just could not wrap his mind around it.

All his life, he had struggled, fought tooth and nail simply to receive acknowledgment and respect. But his Hinata( amazing, dedicated Hinata) gave it away like nothing. He hadn't even had to work for it, and it had been there the whole time. Suffice to say, once he had gotten a taste, it would be hard for him to let it go. And it scared him, because he knew that if he gave away his own love, and was rejected, that it would break him.

So that was why he adored and admired her, because she was so brave. So brave to simply give away a piece of herself to those she cared for, not just him. It seemed that every person she met, who really got to know her, came to care for her in return; because she gave them a piece of herself every time. She told him he was like that too, even more than she.

He had stuck out his tongue, saying she was being nice.

But today, he hoped that could all change. That maybe today he could finally tell her.

His heart beat fast as he approached Ichiraku's stand, indigo hair glistening like raven's feathers in the sunlight. Her back was to him, and she was speaking quietly with Ayame at the stand. He frowned slightly, seeing as she was still dressed in her mission attire, flak jacket and all. (She was usually good at dressing up for dates, but she looked beautiful regardless.)

"Oi Hinata!" He shouted happily, running to close the distance between them.

Ayame who had a full view of her favorite customer's girlfriend tilted her head. Hinata would usually smile brilliantly and a light blush would dust her cheeks. Instead, the girl winced slightly and a slight frown marred her delicate features. Come to think of it, she had been awfully taciturn today. Maybe they had had a fight?

She continued to observe.

"Naruto." Hinata greeted flatly, and waved awkwardly. Eyes narrowed as the blonde continued jabbering on and on about how pretty she looked and how excited he was.

'_Damn it, how does Hyuuga put with this on a regular basis?'_


	4. Something Unexpected

**Another random cut from Reluctant...I just thought it would have been fun to have Hinata ride a motorcyle, for once. Just something she picked up on her five year journey. Scrapped because it felt out of place in the story. She does have another talent, but it's shown later on. But ahh, just imagine the fun of cross country traveling on a motorcycle, nothing but you and the open road...that was what I was thinking as I imagined Narumi's bike-something like the HondaCB750 to be precise...concept of Naruto world and motorcycle not impractical actually. The pilot one shot had Naruto riding one, and that's why his initial design had goggles- a remnant of his start.**

**Something Unexpected**

It hadn't always been so dark. No…for a long while, it had been soul aching bright and free. After Tenten had gone and marked her own mission as finished, Hinata had gone on. That first step out of the city and into the wild unkempt path had been bliss. That first mile of travel had been freedom. That first breath of air had been indescribable. She felt so small and light, as if she were travelling on the tips of her toes, feet barely grazing the tall grass and the sky had been so, so blue. And so she had stretched her tiny hand towards the clouds, slim fingers itching to touch what she felt she could. That had been the wonderful joy of being an ambassador.

Oh she was still tied to her beloved Konoha; the emblem around her neck and woven into her vest never ceased to remind her of that. But it was a pleasant type of bond, not so constricting, not so suffocating. It felt more now like a light tap on the head, a soft reminder of someone she fondly remembered, someone she thought she knew so well, that she could speak on their behalf.

The ability to explore, to see and fine different facets of the world and herself was something she treasured. She traveled through the countries, completing assignments, weaving pretty words and sincere promises that she knew Konoha would wholeheartedly support. And little by little, the ache she had felt as she left, the raw hole where the absence of her precious people had ripped through, stopped hurting so much. Eventually it became a dull throbbing sensation, always present, but bearable.

"Hinata?" Naruto asked questioningly as she circled the strange bike looking thing. Her eyes seemed to shine at the sight of the flawless black paint and she reverently traced the bulky lines with soft fingers. She bit her lip in indecision, and Naruto stifled a groan at the sight. He was beginning to be jealous of an inanimate object.

She hummed a quiet reply, not quite all there. And his breath hitched as she suddenly turned towards him, a bright smile on her face and an underlying assuredness in herself shining through.

"Do you want to go for a ride, Naruto-kun?"

He gulped, unsure as to whether he trusted the strange contraption or the even stranger girl in front of him.

"Is it safe?" He whispered, and she laughed heartily.

* * *

_Hinata eyed the contraption warily, twirling a strand of inky straight her nervously. She tugged at her green jacket, making sure that her pockets held some form of identification, just in case._

"_I-Is it safe?" She asked hesitantly and the girl simply laughed and handed her the white helmet._

_Hinata grasped it in her trembling hands and caressed the smooth surface. She frowned when she noticed there was no protection in the front. _

"_Will I not get things caught in my face at such high speeds?"_

_Narumi fluffed her auburn hair, green eyes glinting mischievously. "You worry too much Hinata-chan."_

_Then out from the pocket of her brown leather jacket, she pulled a pair of gaudy goggles. For a second Hinata's heart leapt, because at the sight of the silly little things, she remembered a boy with sunshine hair and goggles adorning his head. She remembered a lonely boy whose wonderfully silly goggles were just a placeholder for his bigger dreams, and yet it was nostalgic. It was a reminder of innocence and time past and a love so constant, that even now she still felt its white-hot grip grasping at her chest._

_She felt the tears sting her eyes and quickly blinked them away, holding out a trembling hand for the lenses._

"_Are you alright Hinata-chan?" Narumi asked worriedly, her brow creased._

_Hinata nodded quickly, her hair flying to and fro in an attempt to hide her emotion. "I'm fine!"_

_Narumi gave her one last disbelieving look before beginning instruction. "Okaay then…let's start."_

_Hinata nodded, looking warily at the motorcycle. It was a cute little thing, with bulky lines and a single oversized headlight taking up most of the front. The seat was cushiony and the motor and pipes were polished to shining silver. The rest of the body was painted a sea green, Narumi's favorite color._

_Narumi's quiet instruction hummed through Hinata's head pleasantly, and she found herself lulled into calm by the soft tempo of her friend's droning and the gentle breeze dancing through the grass. _

"_Hinata-chan? Did you get all that?" Narumi asked._


	5. Words Get in the Way

**A/n:Take note...this is a scrapped scene from Reluctant and their confession will be very different from this.**

**Words Get in the Way**

Naruto seethed inwardly, knocking back another shot of the Fire Daimyo's special concoction. He refused to look back past the heavy oaken door propped open, because then he would see _them._ The Daimyo's eldest arm in arm with a Hyuuga, the Hyuuga heiress to be precise.

"_What a beautiful couple."_

"_It's a perfect match, the Hyuuga princess with the Golden Prince."_

"_The influence the Hyuuga will hold will be unparalleled."_

That prissy prince holding _his _Hinata. He frowned, reminding himself that she was no longer his. Had she ever been his to start with? He had never really been hers, and five years ago, when he had come so close, so close to being hers, she let him go.

* * *

The cold light of the full moon cast her into an interesting contrast of light and shadow. The gossamer folds of her dress trailed after as she gracefully stepped across the pond's still surface. And Naruto could not help but call out to her.

"Hinata…"

Wide eyed and confused, he watched as her elegant neck turned at warp speed to find the source of her name. She stopped in the middle, ripples extending towards the edges of the water, as if searching for something. She stilled as she saw him. There stood Her Hokage in all his glory, the white and red of his formal robes framing him beautifully. The light of the moon was far too weak, in her opinion, to do him justice.

The slightest breeze blew through the fragrant garden, almost pushing her in his direction. And she impulsively chose to follow its direction, one pale foot in front of the other as she walked towards him. Her face was inscrutable, half shaded by the night. She ended in front of him, missing the coolness of the water, her toes digging into the soft, white sand.

He looked and wondered how a piece of the night sky could be so close as to be touched and yet be so far out of reach. He wanted to remove the pins in her hair so it could flow freely, as free as he longed for her to be. He wanted to hold her so she would know she was safe, as safe as she made him feel. He wanted to kiss her senseless and shout his earlier epiphany to her. But he could not, because she was not his. Not anymore.

"Naruto?"

He smiled, wondering when the honorific had been dropped, wondering when they had become friends again.

When he did not speak, she swallowed her nervousness, hoping to continue the conversation. She tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear, only for more of the same to slip from her bun and fall into her face. She huffed, slightly embarrassed and her gaze turned towards the ground.

Then lightest sensation graced her temple, and the heat rushed to her face as she realized that Naruto was tucking back the rest of the hair back. She shivered at the sensation of calloused fingers running across her skin, behind her ear. Then she turned redder, realizing what an unladylike thought had crossed her mind at the touch.

She gazed up at him, trying desperately to read his gaze, and then she felt warmth as his hand grasped her bare back, and his eyes…oh they were such luminous blue fire that she felt herself fall into the sand as ash and her heart incinerate itself in her emotion.

Naruto could not help but notice the way her lips parted and he grit his teeth, knowing that now was the time to say what he needed to, because after this, there were no more chances, no more shots to take or kisses to steal.

Hinata saw the state of turmoil in his gaze, and she asked hesitantly, anticipation curling in her chest.

"Naruto…kun?"

And that return of his suffix, he felt himself become complete and the words that needed to be said, fell out in neat pieces.

"Hinata, don't go…not with him." He said in earnest, his voice low and she could barely make it out over the din of the continuing festivities.

She was stunned. Their…relationship…friendship or whatever they were, had become so convoluted and pitted and strange, that this new phase was scaring her. Because she knew that whatever happened tonight, it would change what was between them permanently. The tears welled up, and she felt the unfairness of it all burning her, pushing her fragile emotions into a maelstrom of feelings.

"After five years!? Five years and now you say something like that?" She shouted, the tears falling now, and she was still very aware of his hand on her back and his body only inches from hers.

His brows furrowed in confusion, the vulnerability of his request having made him sensitive enough, that he opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off.

She looked up at him, eyes shining. "I know…I know it was my fault and that I was the one who left. But so many times, I wished and prayed and hoped that you would come looking for me. I was being selfish, but I just thought you would have come after me."

Then she dropped her gaze, a bittersweet smile gracing her face and she pulled his hands from behind her. She gently grasped with both her own and muttered.

"But I guess it's simply too late for wishful thinking."

Naruto's stomach dropped and he began to panic, he felt her slipping away to some where he could not reach her. He felt the chains of this city ensnaring her, tangling her slim form in their clutches and he felt angry because she was just giving in. Had she not told him she loved him? Had she not promised to stay by his side?

She just needed a little reminder, because that was not her ninja way. That was not _their _ninja way.

His hand slipped from hers and he gripped her shoulder, the other hand grasping her chin a little too roughly, and tilting it up to look at him. His mouth tightened and he could see her sinking behind her steel doors and the burden of her lies.

'_Don't you dare fade away.' _His eyes seemed to say, and she found herself feeling lighter than she had in a long time. And Naruto saw a glimmer of a breakthrough in her starry eyes, so he gulped and took the plunge to lead her off the precipice; to show her how to fly freely.

"Stay by my side." He asked softly.

The tears pooled in her eyes and fell over, her lips trembled, and he feared the answer.

So he finished it. "Stay by my side…**because I love you**."

The slight nod of her head was all it took, and he knew that the he was hers and she was his.

"Na-"

Her words were swallowed in a kiss; lips meeting in a gesture more meaningful than any words could have been at the moment. And as his hands ran through her now unbound hair, and she heard the _click clack _of her hairpins falling to the ground, she felt _free_.


	6. The Path Towards the Sun

**This is NOT the ending for Transparent...it just helps to clear out things like this and narrow out ideas sometimes. Putting scenes in a "Sundry of Snippets" is kind of therapeutic, like pruning a flowering bush and accidentally cutting off some of the blossoms, only to realize that they're kind of pretty and you don't want them to go to waste, so you put them in a vase...I'm sorry if that makes absolutely no sense, I'm half asleep and trying to type out Reluctant and was looking at past scenes. Plus I've been in school all summer and have managed to yet again drown myself in things to do, but an idle life is a bit boring isn't it? **

**So here's a little something to tide you over. Please enjoy my snipped off flowers!  
**

**The Path Towards the Sun**

The cheers were deafening as the sun broke through, chasing away the red and gray that had permeated the world. The alliance breathed a tangible sigh of relief, a shiver and loosening up of every muscle and joint spreading through the field. There had been a heavy loss, and the overall feeling was bittersweet as sobs and laughs echoed through, every peak and valley of human emotion mingling in a strange combination.

Naruto felt…light, inexplicably light, as he turned towards his comrades. He felt them all, the Konoha Thirteen…alive and breathing. He saw Sasuke to his left and flashed him a small smile, a subtle exchange that carried such a depth of meaning that only the two of them could understand. His friend and he turned towards the _girl_…the transparent little being that had saved them all.

The girl who only they could see. Or at least that was how it seemed, but as the sun began rising, its rays brushing through, gently pushing against the dark and illuminating everything.

Sakura gasped as _**she**_ came into view, her ankle length silvery strands waving in the slight breeze, her smile bright and her eyes white.

And a name fell gently, sweetly onto the tip of her tongue. And as she tried to grasp it in her mind, it came softly, kindly…leaving a feeling just as warm and pleasant as the sun's newly risen rays.

"H-Hinata?" She asked, the tears falling as she remembered things that should not have been in her memory. A shared timidity, lazy days spent in the flower fields, a warm and tiny shoulder always there to lean on…

The softest smile crossed the Hinata's face, and she nodded, her eyes shining and her giggle as familiar to Sakura as the ribbon carefully tucked away underneath her vest.

And one by one, those nearby began murmuring as they saw the strange girl all in white, wondering as to just when she had appeared. The Konoha Thirteen approached first, and one by one, Hinata saw the recognition dawning in their gaze, the confusion and the memories swirling through the stream of time.

And her smile grew bittersweet as she felt a tug somewhere at the back of her soul.

'_Just a little bit more time…please.'_

The tug felt sharper, a flare of pain spread through her chest and she stumbled forward.

"Hinata?!" Naruto shouted, running forward to catch her, just as everyone caught up with their returned memories. She was trembling, her thin frame so small and delicate in his hands, and he noticed just how much thinner she seemed than the last time. Her face was pale, and the white of her hair only served to make her look ghostly.

He was torn. Torn between the varied emotions ripping through him, and then she looked up at him, a small smiling gracing her face, the pain obvious in her gaze. He gritted his teeth, because it was over. She had said that if they defeated Madara, everything could stay.

Her hand reached up to touch his face, tracing the whiskers and gently smoothing away any dirt. Her eyes shone with love and acceptance, and…completion.

"H-hey Hinata! We won! We did it…" He started, seeing her feeling slightly better. His arms reached to wrap around her, as if he could not be close enough to her.

Hinata's cheeks felt warm, and she felt his tears falling into her elaborate kimono, the heavy silk absorbing the drops until they disappeared. She continued caressing his hair, and pulled back. He looked up in surprise, and that was when he noticed _**it**_.

What he had thought was merely the sun shining on her hair, making it glint a brilliant silver was actually Hinata's own light. And the tiny motes of herself were floating upwards gently, to the blue sky, following the sunbeams to a place where he could not go.

His eyes widened in horror. "N-No…No…NO!"

Everyone watching stilled at his protests. They watched confused as he gripped her tighter. Then it became clear as the light grew brighter, the motes increasing and Hinata's lengthy hair began to **fade. **

Then she turned towards the others gazing up at them in dawning comprehension. She cried, her tears floating around her like tiny glass planets, and she smiled. Kiba and Shino stepped forward, ready to seize her into their grasps, the missing friend they had all forgotten.

Ino thought of days pressing flowers and chatting about their meanings.

Tenten thought about nights drinking tea and laughing at the absurdities of Neji and Lee.

Neji…grasped at his empty forehead where a mark had once been. His teeth grit as he thought of the beloved little sister who had never been gone from his memories, leaving a space so empty and dark it had eaten away at his sanity. She was real. He had not dreamt her up.

And Sasuke looked on in slight sadness, feeling as if some shared secret that only he and Naruto had been privy to had been let out, and was now being destroyed because of it.

"I am…so happy, here with all of you." She finally said, her sobs stopping the flow of her words. There was so much she wanted to say, but so little time. And it seemed absurd to her that even though she had had enough lifetimes, enough chances to say what she wanted to, here she was now wishing for more.

But this was it…_'1'_

_**She looked on in curiosity, and somewhere in the vicinity where her heart had once been, she felt a strange twinge. Then the drip…drip of water on thick fabric had her still in shock. Kaguya's tears fell as liquid silver, for the first time in a long time feeling sorrow for another.**_

"You're lives are precious, precious things. All of you fought so hard, lost so much, just to live, to see the sun again. Right?"

They agreed silently, and some nodded.

"So I entrust this world, this life to you all. With the same gentleness, the same welcome that you all showed me, many, many different times…with the same patience and friendship…treat your future and fellow humans with the same care."

The sobbing was growing, the keening and the goodbyes on trembling Lips was too much for her and she looked down at her translucent hands, realizing she had run out of time.

Bringing her fingers up to her mouth, she smiled, indicating that they should too.

"Let's all walk the path towards the sun with a smile!" She cheered, the tears running down and the motes increasing exponentially. She turned to look over her shoulder at a shaking Naruto, his hands clenching at his inability to save her.

"I will walk towards you, Naruto-kun because it is you who is my sun." She muttered, so that only he could hear. She took small steps, the task becoming more difficult as she lost her very self, and he saw her breaking herself just to reach him.

"HINATA!"

He rushed towards her, his embrace knocking what little air she had left in her lungs. It was strange really, this disappearing thing. _'More like not existing…'_

He refused to listen to her calm words, to her acceptance. She had chosen this path, because it would save them all. She was happy though, she wanted to say. But he would not listen.

"Hinata!** You are not leaving me, not again**!" He shouted at her, his hold tightening as if it could stop the pieces of her from floating away.

He was silenced by her lips against his. The soft sigh of contentment floating through her being resonated with him, and he felt it. Her goodbye…Then she pulled away to quickly, his shock allowing her to step out of his embrace and lightly hold his hands in hers.

She looked up and smiled again, as always. "Thank you…Naruto-kun…for seeing me…for finding me when no one else could. Thank you for loving me the way you did."

"Hinata…w-why?! You..you said…" He started, the tears choking his words.

"And If I had to live a hundred lives over, I would fall in love with you each and every time." She stated confidently, happily, with the air of one simply stating something indisputably true and constant.

"I love you, Naruto Uzumaki."

The sun rose fully over the mountains, a bright new day greeting them, and in its rays she felt embraced, comforted. Or was that Naruto's warmth?

"Hinata…stop it!?

A peaceful sort of tiredness seemed to engulf her and her eyes slid shut as the rest of her disappeared, her last smile wide and sincere as she mouthed the three words again to him.

'_I love you.'_

Then in a bright light she was gone; only a few motes of beautiful light left in the wake of her disappearance.

"HINATA!"

The cry echoed across the valley, the survivors wondering why the name left an ache in their hearts and time did not shift. The world would continue to turn, even as its transparent savior no longer existed.

**I can not explain anything...even if this is not the real ending, there might be ****spoilers? I think...**


	7. Sleep Tight, Don't Let Me Bite

**Sleep Tight, Don't Let Me Bite**

**This is actually something I wrote for NaruHina month Jan 2015. The Prompt was "Wedding Night". Meant to be after the canon! ending of Naruto the Last.**

On the day of their wedding, there was much said in the way of congratulations, well wishes and teasing comments about the wedding night. But to Naruto, it was Hanabi Hyuuga's comments that hooked and decidedly caught his attention.

She waggled a finger in his direction, and he bent stiffly in his haori. He looked at her warily, not at all fond of the teasing twinkle in those white eyes of hers.

"Well, well Nii-san…Good luck."

He flinched at her "affectionate" new way of addressing him. Nothing good could come from this.

"W-What d'ya mean?" He whispered hoarsely, his eyes shifting nervously looking for some sign of extra attention. Hinata would kill him if he encouraged lewd remarks and jokes from her baby sister.

She merely smiled suspiciously, and for Naruto felt a shiver race down his spine because with those cruel, cruel eyes of hers, Hanabi kinda looked like Kaguya.

Then in the sweetest voice possible, Hanabi lilted.

"Do you move a lot when you sleep?"

Naruto blanched. "What kind of question is that?"

"Do you or not?" She huffed.

He nodded somewhat confusedly and scratched the back of his head, the thrum of the wedding reception fading into background noise.

"Hmm…well, she bites if you accidentally wake her up. So watch out."

"Wha-"

Hanabi nodded sagely, placing her hands into the sleeves of her kimono. "She does. Ever since we were little."

Naruto stood there, unsure of what to do with this new piece of information. Truth be told, he had never spent the night with Hinata, so he wasn't familiar with her sleeping habits. But she was so easy going, so non-nonchalant about everything else, that he had never felt the need to worry.

So with a bright grin, he gave his young sister-in-law a thumbs up.

"I've got this Hanabi!"

Hanabi sighed, patting him on the arm and with a look of tragic acceptance on her pale visage.

"She made me bleed once."

And then twirled with all the grace of a Hyuuga, skipping merrily on her way to flirt with the cute boy she had seen near the buffet.

* * *

The moonbeams drifted in through the gaps in the blinds, the silver light turning everything in the quiet hotel room the same color.

It alighted on the forms of two newly united lovers, caressing their gracelessly heaped forms. The sounds of the sea echoed peacefully, the crash and subsequent woosh adding to the complete serenity. It was beautiful, it was seemingly perfect…

"RAMEEENnghhh! .."

Naruto Uzumaki was never one for complete peace and quiet, not even in the gentle throes sleep. (Captain Yamato could have told anyone that.)

He rolled over, hands grasping for that gorgeous, steaming bowl of noodles, floating just out of his grasp. To the right, to the left…his body jerked with his movement, pulling the sheets to his side.

It was when his right arm extended too far and accidentally hit his wife that he would learn to regret his involuntary night movements.

His hands were mere inches from the ramen, when suddenly a sharp pain lanced through his arm.

"OWWW!" He jolted awake to the sensation, blearily looking for any signs of an attacker.

He woke to find Hinata's eyes rammed shut, his arm across her face and her mouth firmly clamped over his pinky and ring finger.

Grimacing slightly, he slowly worked his poor, abused fingers out of his wife's mouth. Hanabi hadn't been kidding.

The movement and the shouting and the rolling had been too much for Hinata. She opened her eyes, blinking slowly as she came to. It took her all of one second to realize she was biting her husband's hand.

Her cheeks flamed red, and her jaw dropped giving him enough time to extricate his fingers.

With a sigh of relief, he began rubbing them to return some sort of sensation.

He chuckled. "Hanabi was right."

She flushed red, bolting up quickly to apologize for her unseemly actions.

"Naruto-kun…I-I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to. I-I"

She continued muttering her muffled apologies behind her hands, covering her flustered expressions.

He laughed harder, gently circling her wrists and bringing down her hands to look into her luminescent eyes.

"Hey…it's alright. I should apologize. I think I accidentally hit your face."

She relaxed a little, and then began to laugh too, The absurdity of it all and the lateness of the night hitting her all at once. The sheet she had been using to cover herself slipped little by little, exposing her shapely curves and smooth skin.

Naruto's breath hitched as the moonlight illuminated things he had just seen for the first time but a couple hours ago. They had fallen asleep after, nude bodies intertwined and covered by sheets. Warmth and touch and love all present.

Without warning, his body warmed again, asking for more.

Hinata heard his laughter stop, and with a question in her gaze, looked up at him. Lavender darkened when she saw the heat in his own eyes, the pleading and interest, her own warmth pooled in her belly and prompted her to be as forward as she liked.

'My husband' She thought with a rush of pride, that this beautiful man was hers to have and hold.

But still slightly flustered, she lowered her gaze and in a hesitant voice muttered…

"You can bite me back."

Naruto tilted his head in confusion. "Wha? No Hinata! It didn't hurt that much and it's really nothing to-"

It was when she had thrust herself forward to circle slim arms around his neck and pressed her lip against his own in mad desire that he understood what she had meant.

She pulled back breathlessly, staring at him with a quirked brow.

"Oh." He said.

"Oh." She replied wryly.

She laughed softly, pressing her lips against the crook of his neck. Then without warning, she bit the tender skin lightly.

Naruto hissed in pleasure, his muscles tightening and he was lost.

* * *

The sun drifted into the room in much the same way the moon had, and its beams fell over a lovely couple, legs and bodies intertwined.

Curiously enough, they were covered in bite marks from head to toe.


	8. We've Already Met

**We've already met**

**So this was supposed to be for NaruHina Month again on Tumblr..., prompt was meet the grandparents…but I kinda thought it said meet the parents so i guess it doesn't fit the prompt, but yeah…umm..rosemary stands for remembrance and I always thought that Hinata would be the type to visit forgotten graves and that Kushina's grave in particular would be kinda neglected due to the whole secrecy thing… and yeah..enjoy.**

The white umbrella with its frilled edges and oversized umbrage seemed to be something thoroughly out of place in the dreary cemetery. But if that was true, then the tiny occupant bobbing determinedly underneath its generous coverage was very much an oddity. Her bright yellow rain boots sloshed through mud and slush, the edges of her lilac coat becoming just the slightest bit dirty.

Small, pale and despairingly soft fingers clutched onto the too large handle and a cluster of rosemary sprigs, a symbol of remembrance.

The fresh, crisp scent of winter rain brought with it memories of a beautiful woman, with bright eyes and dark hair colored like the richest of plums. Dancing in the rain, holding Hinata tighter and tighter, until she felt nothing but the spinning world and the rain and her mother's warmth.

Her reverie broke in the wake of her aching heart, the small ten-year old stopped in front of the tombstone, worn gray stone just as flat and colorless as Hinata's eyes were.

"Hello Mommy…" She whispered the words to the pattering rain, to the sad sky, to the chilly breeze…to someone who may or may not still be near her.

"I didn't forget you."

She crouched down slowly, trembling fingers with half bitten nails caressing the grainy stone, tracing the characters of her mother's stayed for just a bit more, one spring of rosemary left at the base of the tomb.

She clutched the handle of the umbrella just a little tighter, a little more desperately. She wandered aimlessly, not wanting to return to the Hyuuga compound just yet. There was nothing there for her after all, not anymore. Just emptiness and an aching invisibility that tore her apart in the worst and most delicate of ways. Cold, white eyes and sharp, reprimanding utterances…oh how painful it was to be forgotten…but still…

Her tiny frown deepened, furrowing in contemplation. To be forgotten…she wanted to fight, to shout to the raining heavens and the thundering mountains that she was still here, that she had worth and that someday she was going to prove it.

She smiled at the thought, amused by the turn of events. Oh how wonderful it must be to be able to believe so deeply in oneself.

_"I'm gonna be Hokage!"_

_"Watch me!"_

And then at the thought of him, her heart skipped a beat and her cheeks flushed pink despite the cold. She wouldn't let herself forgotten, she wouldn't let anyone else be forgotten.

She lifted the umbrella straight above her head, twirling in the rain. She laughed. She giggled. She snorted because sunshine was in her mind and even if there was no sun right now, she felt as if it had been the nicest day this week.

She stopped her mad dance, slowing to a stop in front of a simple white headstone, the grass already grown so tall as to cover the name, the course stalks grasping at the cracked stone as if slowly embracing it. She looked closer, because as a Hyuuga she was taught to look for the smallest details, even if she was a failed Hyuuga.

"Hello there…" She whispered carefully, her heart aching for this seemingly forgotten person.

Carefully she knelt to brush away some of the foliage from the face of the tomb. She felt her heart race double time when on the stone was an engraving of spiral, the red paint chipping in the face of nature's assault.

"Hello there…" She repeated and looked at the horribly faded characters engraved under the spiral.

"U…maki …shi…" She struggled to make out the name.

But Hinata was a smart girl, even if she was a failed heiress, and she put two and two together. A spiral and U..maki…an Uzumaki…possibly a relative of Naruto's.

Her smile brightened. This time with more gusto, she pulled away some of the weeds, revealing a date of birth and death. And a simple inscription, beloved wife.

This person had been about as old as her mommy. Maybe they had had known each other?

She felt tears prick at her eyes, and she quickly wiped them away, resting the handle of her umbrella against the gravestone, creating a sort of shelter just big enough for someone of her small size.

"I wonder if you're related to him?" She murmured, and even she had to admit she felt strange for talking to a stranger, and a dead one at that.

The pitter-patter of the rain lightened ever so slightly.

She peeked from underneath her shelter, noting that the sun was just breaking through the clouds, and the world glistened the tiniest bit.

Unconsciously, she began building a picture in her mind's eye of a woman with a grinning face, so reminiscent of that person. And because the most eye catching thing on the tombstone was the red spiral, she colored in the woman's hair with the brightest of carmines. Maybe some warm blue eyes too?

A raucous laugh or had she been a quiet woman? Did her husband love to hear her speak? Did she cook well? Was she kind?

She shook her head. It didn't matter. This person had been loved at one point, had been someone's wife. So with a contemplative hum, she carefully dug a small hole near the grave, the earthy loam falling like stardust underneath her fingers. She placed her last sprig of rosemary there, and then gingerly tucked it into the soil, planting it in the hopes that it's presence could last at least a little longer. Then at least Shi-san might not feel so forgotten.

"You have his name…and I think…you might have been a nice person, Uzumaki Shi-san…It was a pleasure to meet you."

The breeze changed direction then, sweeping her umbrella to the side and cradling her in a strangely warm current of air. It felt nice..like someone was hugging her tightly, just like her mother used to.

She blinked when the wind stopped. As quickly as it had come, it was gone.

She hopped up quickly, dusting her hands on her navy breeches and quietly squelched her way back, feeling a strange sort of warmth settle in her chest.

* * *

"Hinata, come on!" He called over his shoulder, his strides lengthening as he approached the farthest edges of the cemetery.

His bright eyes rivaled the summer sky in their intensity, and she felt that she held the sun in her hands as his clasped hers.

"Naruto-kun! Wait!" She cried slightly as he tugged her along, her long skirt and nice blouse wrinkling as they hurried through the tall grass and the upturned stones.

He stopped for a bit, letting her gather herself and smooth down stray hairs that had slipped from her elegantly twisted chignon. His amusement seemed to thread itself through him, his muscles bound and tensed, even standing still he seemed to be in motion. Excitement was palpable in the air around him, his whiskers distorted in a grin so wide, that Hinata had to blink. It was like staring at the sun for too long, wonderful and intensely painful.

"You look beautiful…like always." He teased, bending down to press a sloppy kiss on her pouting pink lips.

She squealed in consternation and surprise, her cheeks reddening.

"N-naruto-kun. We need to be respectful. What if she disapproves. Oh dear, I must look like such a mess…"

She rambled worriedly, pressing pale hands to clammy cheeks.

And a knot formed in her stomach, because Naruto had been working for this particular meeting for months now. He had scoured records and tons of papers in the old, dusty basement of Konoha's library. He had nagged Tsunade-sama and berated every old codger he could think of that could help him. And finally, finally after all this time, he had found _her. _He had found his mother…Uzumaki Kushina.

He had visited her several times already, and here she was now, ready to meet her mother-in-law for the first time. Nervously, she wondered what she would do once she met her? How could she tell if she had been approved of? What if Kushina's spirit rose from the grave because Naruto-kun had chosen a strange girl such as herself and oh, dear, she was going to be haunted. She was sure of it. A mother's love was strong enough to reach across the land of the dead and into this world.

She shuddered.

But then Naruto pulled her into an embrace, seeing her worried face and pouty lips. He buried his face into the crook of her slim neck, muttering…

"She'll love you."

"How…" She swallowed thickly, still feeling nervous.

"Because I've already told her all about you…and I know…she already loves you…"

"How do you know?"

"Just cuz'"

He laughed quietly, pulling back to look down on his tiny, adorkable fiancee. Seeing her hesitation still etched in her expression, he winked at her, lacing his through her own once more.

She frowned, but before she could continue, she was pulled along. They stopped in front of a worn gravestone, cleaned and shining like new, despite the chipped paint on the red spiral and the faded characters…

The only plant life that had been allowed to stay had been a large cluster of rosemary, the lavender blooms brightening up the day, silently declaring their presence with a gently affirmation, and unlike the weeds she had seen the first time around Shina-san's grave, the rosemary did not crumble the stone and did not hide it's presence.

Rather they framed it, embraced the presence and served as a subtle reminder that this person had existed, that someone had remembered her and given her the gift of being acknowledged…long after she had passed on.

Hinata gave a sharp little gasp when she realized who Uzumaki Shi truly was.

Naruto mistook her surprise to be for the flowering rosemary, and he smiled a bit, looking fondly at the blooms.

"Someone remembered…even before I found her, someone remembered."

He clapped his hands together, and with a grand gesture, he urged Hinata to approach the grave. A grin so wide, that she knew he must be nervous too.

"Hinata! Meet my mom, Uzumaki Kushina."

She hadn't needed anymore prompting.

She had rushed forward and knelt down to softly caress the faded characters, an expression of bewildered amusement and happiness gracing her features.

"I know. We've already met."

And she smiled because the warm breeze from before blew through, feeling like the embrace of an old friend.


	9. From Dandelion to Sunflower

From Dandelion to Sunflower Or (She Doesn't Mind)

**A/N: AU: Boruto dies young. Himawari is left to pick up the pieces he leaves behind, her wishes becoming as flighty as dandelion tufts in the wind. Written for tumblr again. Also to anyone who has read Naruto Gaiden...Holy moley was that intense. not what i expected. the whole sasusaku camp is angst galore, let's see what happens in the NaruHina camp. also please dont forget about Himawari, Kishimoto.**

When she was young, nothing but a slip of a girl with big dreams and wide eyes still clinging to her mother's skirt, she would come to lay down sunflowers. Childishly, she would brush off the dirt from the neat characters of her uncle's name, caressing them with wonder at the stories her parents would weave about this enigmatic person.

"_Your uncle was a prodigy…talented and loyal. And even if he was serious a lot of the time, he always could smile when it mattered."_

"_Your Uncle Neji would have loved these…he loved what Hyuuga stood for."_

"_Your Uncle Neji…your uncle would have…could have…used to…"_

The past tense only served to further distance her from the memories her parents had wished to keep alive. They tried, and then when she could only respond with the most polite of smiles and the most curious of inquiries, they would look a little sad. As if they had failed in keeping him alive, as if you would have had to been there to understand at all.

She wonders if she's doing the same thing now when she speaks of…

She understands it all now though. Wide awake at the tender age of eight. Too wide awake some would say for a girl raised in an era of peace. Too wide awake for one raised by the Hokage and the Hyuuga daughter.

She laughs at them, all the while twirling a shining shuriken like an old pinwheel she once had.

When she was nothing but a slip of a girl, she had never quite grasped that certain sadness in her parents' eyes whenever they had visited her uncle's grave…had never quite understood the empty, grasping feeling of losing a precious person…had never felt the gaping, clawing, gnawing, aching, searing, twisting, snarling pain of it all…

She understands it now…all too well.

Himawari looks wistfully at the gravestone before her, her not Hyuuga eyes uncannily observant of things that seemed unimportant in the grand scheme of things. But she sees. She sees the marks made by a gentle hand brushing aside the dirt and dust to clear the name on the marble, she sees the slight cracks at the edges and the slight imprint of fingers…as if someone had held on so tight that they nearly broke the stone.

She sees the growing dandelions reaching for the sun, watered by too many tears.

"_If you're a sunflower, then I'm a dandelion."_

Smiling slightly, Himawari traces the neat characters of the tomb before her, just like before. Then she stands up, placing but a few of the bright sunflowers upon the base, and dusting off her dark pants.

She has one other stop to make in need of sunflowers. One too many for a girl so young.

The day is nice and the breeze is pleasant…even if there are dandelion seeds caught in her dark hair and on her shirt. She doesn't mind.

—–

At the precarious age of ten, she finds herself ready to take the chunin exams.

And while she fights the other competing teams, she also fights herself. Fights the duality that seems inherent in her nature.

On the one hand, shadowed by doubt and run through with thin, slicing instances of pragmatism is the thought that she shouldn't be here so young. She is still a girl…ahead of her class and younger than her team by several years, but still a girl…

On the other hand, plagued by a shadow of its own, is his grinning face. Boruto-nii-san had made it to the chunin exams at an early age. There was expectation, and tradition and gossip and memory. She needs to do this…needs to win as badly as Sarada-san needs to become the best medical ninja…she needs to surpass him…needs to catch up to him in a way the other half know she never can.

"_He is a prodigy."_

"_He is better than his father was at his age."_

"_He is going to do great things."_

She doesn't know if she wants to laugh or cry. Because Boruto-nii-san may have been a prodigy, but he had also painted their father's face on Hokage mountain so many times, that there seemed to be a permanent smudge underneath his nose. The words "shitty dad" are still faintly seen on his forehead.

But the Hokage does nothing about it. She doesn't blame him.

No one does.

She does however blame him for her current turmoil.

She stares at the flickering flames, drawing her scrapped and skinned knees closer to her because even though it is warm this time of year in Kumogakure, she cannot help but shiver as she argues with herself.

She remembers her sensei requesting the Hokage's permission to let her come here.

"_But Hokage-sama, your daughter is among the best of her-"_

"_I DON'T CARE! She's much too young!"_

"_But sir, with all due respect, your eldest-."_

"_ENOUGH!"_

She wonders how long it had been like that. Just when had her father become so stifling of her growth. Was he never to be happy with her progress? With her accomplishments?

She caused him pain…she knew that. Every shinobi award and competition won, every match resulting in victory pained him…she could see it in his strained smile…the stiffness of his embrace as he congratulated her.

He was trying so hard. But he failed.

For all the talk and all the stories and all the legends and all the physical power, her father was weaker than he seemed. Her mother seemed to handle it all with a grace and strength not evident in her petite frame.

She was in pain all the time too, but she did a better job of hiding it. She did a better job of letting Himawari's future remain free of the shadow.

"_Naruto…you have to let her go."_

"…_."_

"_We…we can't hold her back like this…if she has…if she has potential, we should encourage it. Like we did….like we did before."_

_Her mother cried as she said this, but she did not waver._

"_But that's exactly my point! If we..we hadn't…nghhh…"_

_Her father's words were lost as his sobs overtook him. They became muffled as he buried his face in her mother's neck, his tall form bent so low as only their shared sorrow ever could. _

_They let her go._

So even though Himawari knows it would have been okay for her not to be a prodigy,knows that it would have been okay not to have entered the chunin exams so young, and knows that she really should have been at home still practicing how to walk on water and how to braid hair and how to pack appropriately for a mission, she is here.

She is here to make a point to her scared father and fragilely strong mother that she is strong and she will move forward and that she will make her brother proud. Even if she was born a sunflower with pretty petals and a heady optimism, she wants to become a dandelion if only just so she can float on the wind and feel his laughter once more.

She is oh so aware that the half of her that is rebellious and mischievous and ridiculously driven is all his doing. She doesn't mind it.

It's how she keeps him alive.

"_Hima, you're getting so heavy!" He said, hoisting her further up on his shoulders as he leapt through the woods ringing the edge of their home._

_She stuck her tongue out, a grin playing at the corners of her tiny mouth despite it all._

"_But Papa says It's cuz I'm a sunflower. Sunflowers are big and tall and heavy. But still pretty!" She explains with all the matter-of-factness a four year old can muster._

"_If you're a sunflower, then what am I?" He asked grinning._

_She took a moment to think of an answer, and then she looked at his hair right in front of her. It tickled her nose as they bounced from one branch to the other, waving and dancing in the breeze more freely than a sunflower's petals ever could._

_Himawari had always seen more with her not-Hyuuga eyes than even some Hyuuga did._

_She hums and sings her answer._

"_You're like a dande…dandy…dandalion…big brother's a big, fat yellow dandeeeeeelion."_

_He laughed at that, stopping on a branch, and brought her down from her perch._

"_A dandelion…you mean those weed things?"_

_She giggled in response. and they quickly turned to full-bellied laughter as Boruto attacked her with his eight trigrams, sixty-four tickles._

"_Alright then! If you're a sunflower, then I'm a dandelion! At least I get to fly." He declared after it was said and done, and they had collapsed in a fit of laughter in the middle of the dappled forest floor._

_Their mother called them in for dinner shortly after._

_Later, Himawari would find a pressed dandelion blossom in his academy textbook._

The fire eventually burns out, the moon arcs towards her zenith, and Himawari is still awake. And to the night air, she whispers.

"I wish you didn't have to fly away so soon."

—

She is eleven when she finds out there will be a third. And though there will be a twelve year gap and it grosses her out to think her parents actually do that, she is…conflicted.

Because she sees the fear in their eyes too, it's in there, mixed with the joy and uncertainty that comes with every new parent. There is also expectation.

This she knows is dangerous.

And she has to stop herself from imagining the new baby with bright blonde hair like a dandelion and bright blue eyes like the summer sky. She has to stop herself because it hurts too much and it's not fair to someone who hasn't even been born.

"I'm sorry" She wants to say to her mother's burgeoning belly.

She's sorry because she couldn't take away all the burden expectation and wishful thinking that had been left unfulfilled and unwanted in the wake of her older brother's passing.

There will never be another Boruto. She knows it. Her parents know it, and yet they cannot help it. Cannot help the spark of recognition when her mother says the baby kicks as hard as Boruto did or will be as strong as he was.

Her father, for all his struggle, cannot help but wish for another boy. Her mother does not say anything, but she sees the same hollow wish echoed in her weary gaze.

So Himawari looks to the future with a nervous, and shifty kind of happiness.

She resolves to protect this sibling of hers, from all the harm that may be, could be, and would be. She wonders if this is how older siblings to be feel…she wonders if this is how Boruto felt…

'_Feels'_

She corrects herself. She has learned from her parents' mistakes. She will use the present tense when she talks about her brother. She will use it to keep the distance small and to keep him here.

She will smile as she tells of his adventures and his accomplishments. She will tell this third Uzumaki child all about him and she will teach him or her on her and will carry them on her back and talk about flowers and strength and everything else.

They find out it's a boy.

So even when her parents dig through old boxes and take out the crib and old baby boy rompers and clothes that belonged to her brother, she doesn't mind it.

She'll be there to remind them that this baby is no sunflower or dandelion…but a flower of his own.

And it hurts when people call her the oldest Uzumaki child, because to her, Boruto is still here. So with a gentle smile so similar to her mother's, she corrects them.

Only her parents and their close friends seem to remember that she is the middle one. They say she will be a great big sibling, just like Boruto was.

She doesn't mind it.

—-

The baby is a great big red maple leaf, she decides.

The third Uzumaki is born with a shock of fiery red hair so bright, she thinks to herself that they might need some water to douse the fire on her baby brother's head.

Her mother is weary, with dark circles and laugh lines evident in her pretty face. She laughs as she cradles the new comer closer to her, tears spilling over.

Her father too…he cries in that silent, loud way he does, his bandaged hand tenderly rubbing the baby's soft, chubby cheek.

Himawari loves him already…she loved him since that first announcement…loved him the same way Boruto would have loved him.

She decides on sight that she will love him enough for the both of them…she will be both brother and sister to this young one. She will keep Boruto alive for him.

But the other half of her…the one that is all her, wonders if she is being too selfish in wanting to keep Boruto alive like this. If maybe she should just let him go into the fond distance the same way her parents seemed to have let Neji go…to have let their past precious people go to an abyss.

Himawari is afraid of losing herself in the memory of her brother. It seems her parents have lost her in their memories of her brother. To them, she's already long become some weird sort of amalgamation of the best parts of Boruto, and the strongest parts of her.

But she doesn't mind.

The best parts of Boruto have made her strong, and she would rather her parents project their unfulfilled wishes on her. Better than to keep her stifled and wrapped up in their fear that had hindered her earlier progress.

As long as she knows who she is…that's all that matters. As long as she can spare this new person that pain…and maybe she can't spare them all of it, but even if at least a little, then Boruto would be happy.

'_Will be'_

She corrects herself with a sad little smile.

—

Little red maple leaf has Hyuuga eyes, is weak and shy and quiet. Little red maple lead is not a prodigy.

Little red maple leaf is small and tiny and listens to her with all the rapt attention a four year old can give an older sibling.

He is kind and stuttering and stubborn to a fault.

He clings to Himawari's long legs to hide when strangers come upon them.

Grandfather Hiashi, now more relaxed in his old age, holds him in his lap in the same way he had with her and Boruto. And there is an almost sad, wistful expression in his eyes when the boy does not demand to be shown the gentle fist, despite having Hyuuga eyes.

It is in these moments Himawari knows that her grandfather still looks for Boruto.

They protect him, coddle him, and indulge him.

Her father has even taken to announcing several new civil holidays for small, seemingly randomly milestones, like the anniversary of the day Ramen was invented or April 22nd, so that he can spend more time with his family.

She doesn't blame him for that last one.

No one does.

She marvels at the coincidence that April 22nd just so happens to be Earth Day. It's also the day that Boruto's team went on their first B-Rank mission.

The day he died.

So they sit on one fine April 22 on a picnic blanket in the cemetery. There is pain and there is laughter.

Seven years have dulled the pain…made it bearable in such a way that they all can keep living.

Her father gazes regretfully at the cracks his strong and angry grip had left on the tomb.

Her mother once again wipes away the dirt from the marble surface.

Her brother…her little brother, that is, sits squat in the middle, listening with wide eyes and more interest than Himawari had ever been able to show when hearing about Uncle Neji. She tells him all about his older brother…how cool he is…and how awesome and strong

Her parents look on as Little Maple leaf tumbles over his own two feet, none of the prowess of his elder siblings evident in his existence.

They smile and she realizes with surprise that they have finally learned.

Boruto cannot be found in this one.

She begins to laugh. She laughs until the tears run down and her body is trembling. She doesn;t know if it is from relief or sadness or joy or hope.

The breeze blows through her lengthy dark hair, setting dandelion tufts into the strands inextricably.

She almost can feel his words, comforting and bright.

"_You can be a sunflower again, Hima! I'm here. I've always been here."_

And this she knows to be true. She feels him in her bones, in the way her father smiles, and the way her mother fights. She sees him in the way Sarada-san heals, because she refuses to let another teammate die the way Boruto did underneath her trembling fingers. She sees him in the way the sky is blue and the way they remember.

She wonders at all her wasted effort, and realizes that she was trying so hard to keep him alive when she didn't need to. She realizes everything she had been doing to keep him here was because she couldn't let him go.

Her big brother, her hero….her dandelion.

The breeze grows stronger, knocking her clumsy, tiny brother against her hips and tangles her hair past the point of neatness.

She doesn't mind.

—-

She is twenty when she is offered the position of Hokage.

Her father looks at her with a masked expression. The things that had remained unsaid all these years now drifted between them.

She reads in his gaze his apology. The shadow he had unknowingly placed upon her. The overprotectiveness that had limited her at the beginning and the expectations that he had had for Boruto later shifted to her.

He asks for forgiveness, and she replies with a shake of her head.

She had forgiven him long ago on a spring day when the breeze was strong and there were dandelions in her hair.

She is all sweet graciousness when she reaches for the hat on his head playfully, and places it on her own head happily. Her cheeky grin is similar to Boruto's, but not the same…and Naruto for once is at peace.

His daughter is strong. Stronger than him in so many ways.

"He doesn't want this." She remarks softly.

"He used to say the Hokage was stupid. That he never wanted to be one." Naruto reminded her, used to her use of present tense when she referred to her brother.

"But I want it…I want it because…because it makes me happy."

Himawari bites her bottom lip with nervous and excited contemplation.

"And I think…that's what he wants. He wants us…wants me to be happy."

And even as the tears roll down her cheeks, she feels light enough and strong enough to wear the hat proudly…as herself…as Himawari.

She can see it in her father's eyes. He finally sees her as she is, and that makes it all the better.

And though the hat is a little too big and it obscures her already blurred vision slightly, she doesn't mind.


End file.
